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Mad Scientist Audio - scientist of thieves

Posted by carinem@telenet.be (A) on August 20, 2018 at 10:10:32

I have decided to put my negative experience with Mad Scientist Audio from New Zealand in writing. I think this story should be shared because honesty in business is something we all appreciate. We have all been burnt once or twice, but this being my first time, I have difficulties coming to terms with this, as I consider this no less than "theft". I hope you'll take the time to read this and take heed dealing with this company.

About MAD SCIENTIST AUDIO
15 Garrett Drive
Whalers Gate
New Plymouth 4310
New Zealand
http://www.madscientist-audio.com

On 7 March 2014 I found their website and requested some Black Discus free samples. I didn't expect to receive anything, but two of them arrived. My suspicions that they wouldn't work were confirmed. Still I wanted to buy a power cord because I needed a decent one to replace the standard power cord of my amplifier. On 10 March 2014 I ordered their Neo Power Cord. BIG MISTAKE! However, I didn't know yet...

I received a friendly e-mail from the owner of Mad Scientist Audio, Bob Prangnell on 27 July 2015. Excerpt from that e-mail (nothing has been altered, just copied and pasted as it was written):

"In fact, do you have an good quality "spare" interconnects, like ones you used before but don't any longer? I'm interested in borrowing some good interconnects for my research and testing. I'd return them of course, and also pay your postage costs."

Bob was very friendly and we started communicating. On 28 July 2015 I sent him three pairs of interconnects:
Two pairs of Audio Synthesis Silver interconnects, one pair terminated with WBT RCA connectors and one (more expensive Silver SP pair) terminated with Neutrik connectors.

Bob's reply was:

"Many thanks for sending the interconnects; it's my biggest problem, getting hold of good quaility items to test against - we are not so well endowed with high end audio shops here. I bought what I thought were the best sounding $200 interconnects - Grover Huffman, but they are simply terrible. I also made a test cable from silver OCC and those silver KLE plugs, but that doesn't sound very good either next to the carbon fibers."

The next day on 29 July 2015 another reply from Bob:

"But I was looking into those interconnects and I looked up the Bochino connectors (you know they are made in australia?). They look real nice, but more importantly they use locking screws not solder.

Let me tell you why this is important.. For the Carbon Fiber, you can't solder. So I use copper shim and screw mount RCA plugs. I tested several screw connector RCA plugs, including some quite pricey ones from Furutech, but the best ones I found were Chinese Sonarquest rhodium/carbon plugs. They are pretty good but when I saw the Bochinno plugs I thought that they would be really good for the high end models of the interconnect. As you know, they are quite expensive - depending on the model, a set of 4 costs from $199 to $780

Anyway, I will get a look at them when they arrive. And a listen!

Now Audio Synthesis - that's a name I remember from a long time ago. When I lived in Rotterdam, must have been late 80s, I bought my first Audio Synthesis kit - it was an upgrade for a CD player - some Ben Duncan board. After than I built their DAC based on the Ultra Analog dac hybrid. Also made a Ben Duncan AMP01 preamp. I ended up buying quite a few things from them. I remember they sold silver cable in a blue sleeve then. I wonder if it's the same. Haha that's more than 25 years ago..

So, these two interconnects - Moontails and SP - which one do you prefer? Are the audio synthesis cables the most detailed? I am guessing that the silver would sound more detailed than the copper. So you'd like something with a bit more top end sparkle than the moon tails? OCC-silver might be the answer."

I must admit I'm a gullible person - and unfortunately some manipulative people are quite handy to make use of that. So, on 31 July 2015, I sent those three pairs via Registered Air Mail - Bpost.

That same day, Bob replied:

"Can't wait for your Interconnects to arrive - so curious!!"

On 13 August 2015, they were received by Bob. And he wrote me:

"Last night I had an interesting listening session. Here's how I found them, on my system..
Moontails : These are not horrible ;) (much better than the Grover Washington ICs I'd bought).
For simple music they work quite well, but tend to fall apart a bit with complex music.
They seem to emphasize some parts of the upper mids/treble - this gives an effect where a voice has too much "breathiness/lipiness" and not enough "chestiness" (not sure I explained that very well).
I got some slight sibilance on some vocals
The bass is a bit disconnected from the rest - on one track with acoustic 12 string guitar, the bass notes sounded like they were coming from a separate instrument.
I think there might be a suck-out somewhere along the freq range - I have the feeling that some things are missing.
Soundstage not as well defined as with torforb

I don't think I've really "got my head around" the sound of these cables yet. It often takes me a few days to get their measure. And I'm not sure what effects I'm hearing are from the nice plugs. I should know more soon when I get my own.

Short Blue Interconnects with Neutrik plugs :
These seemed better than the longer blue leads. I can see what you mean about detail. They have lots of that. But the downsides...
-- they are relentless, in your face, wall of sound effect.
-- not so musical though, and not very toe-tapping (prat)
-- I find them fatiguing after a while"

So naturally Bob found his interconnects a lot better than those I sent him. After all, they were for comparison and the intention was that Bob created something quite superior to all existing interconnects.

His wife/partner, Kay Prangnell, came into the picture and we even got that far that I created a new website for them. At first, they were over the moon with it, but later they found 'Expression Web' annoying to work with.

I created many more samples of other websites for them, but none of them seemed appealing to both of them.
I even had a new logo created for them that replaced the old, boring one. Oh, they loved it.

Until the communication became different - something was changing and soon I knew what. His wife/partner even had the nerve of sending me an offending e-mail.

On 6 May 2017, I asked about my three interconnects and when they had the intention of sending them back as promised. Kay Prangnell replied:

"I have forwarded your email to Bob re. cables - we just moved so they might be in the boxes somewhere. Bob will try to fine them."

After a while, on 25 February 2018 I once again asked about my interconnects. Kay Prangnell replied:
"We will return the cables as soon as we find them but we do not know where they are just moving house last year."

After that, I found myself blocked on all their communication channels.

Needless to say that they are NOT going to send back any of those three pairs of interconnects they 'borrowed' them.

Borrow according to www.dictionary.com:
verb (used with object)
to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent.

I sent them a PayPal invoice (equivalent) for the amount of 1500 Euro which is quite fair.

I have saved all e-mails that were exchanged (businesswise and private) and have them safely archived. The proof is in those mails, so Mad Scientist Audio can say what they want, the truth is that they have not been honest in their dealings to me...

Note that Jade Audio ceased production and the pair Mad Scientist Audio now have, is the only pair in existence. I would dearly love to have the MoonTails back but if need be, I'd settle for some compensation.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

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